I can’t believe it’s getting close to the middle of December! The weather has remained rather mild for the most part but we are getting a lot of rain! We’ve had a couple cold nights but it’s never dropped below 15 degrees yet. I am still living in the Airstream here at the farm property but I winterized it some time ago. That means no water although I cook and sleep in here. I use a small electric heater to help keep the humidity under control and provide heat but the propane furnace does the majority of the heating. In the cabin the bathroom is nearly finished now I am excited to say! My plumbing project was a success and everything came on line fairly smoothly. The tiny utility room is packed but it’s working out good so far!

I have been heating the cabin with wood for several weeks now. Fortunately I had some stored dry firewood up in the old granary building that we cut last spring. We also had some “devil’s rejects” as we call them. Low grade chunks of wood that we kick out when doing wood for a customer of ours. They work well in mild weather but burn fast. Despite the fact the the old wood stove in the cabin is being replaced I changed out the outer sections of stovepipe on it. It was in horrible shape after 11 years of use. Good thing I did as I had a chimney fire first thing yesterday morning when I stoked up the fire. It really got going for a few minutes and I was preparing to water it down if necessary. We’ve had a down draft problem lately and creosote has been a problem around the outer stovepipe. Now I am super nervous and ready to get the new wood stove and roof stovepipe system in place!There is always the potential for a fire when burning wood. The new set up will be much safer and efficient.

Overall we have made pretty good progress on the cabin. We now have the beginnings of our natural white cedar deck at the main entrance. I really had to scour my inventory to get enough cedar to build what I did. I had some I stored away years ago. You guessed it! Held in trust! I sawed it into the dimensional lumber I needed on the bandsaw sawmill. I also recently added an attached wood storage shelf to the sheltered back of the cabin facing the road. I used some old blue flooring I had salvaged from an old house years ago up in the Spragueville area. My Uncle who owned it called it the Clarke house. I got a nice farm sink and primitive cabinet from there also.The wood storage shelf will hold over a face cord of wood so it’s a nice addition to the cabin. I used some old metal roofing I had but it may get replaced eventually. It doesn’t look exactly like I wanted it too but will work for now. How many times over the years have I said that?🤔

Zane and I did a bit more siding on the cabin after we found some additional inventory. But we have run totally run out of hemlock so we will need to wait until we can get some more sawn out in 2024. I spent a couple hours one day last week getting out a little bit of burn ready firewood. The ground was frozen and we had a tiny bit of snow so it was a primo day for skidding! It seems like everything is always a big hurry and I can’t ever get enough done. I try to keep going forward and follow the weather forecast for planning work days. Awhile back we spent 2 days hauling salvage logs from up by our camp on Black Lake. Our neighbors had 3 big pine trees taken down and gave us the logs. I had to haul the tractor up to be able to get them pulled out and loaded. We made 3 trips to get all the logs out before it was done. We have a nice collection of pine to saw provided there’s no hardware in the logs. That’s a potential risk with trees near buildings.It was amazing watching the tree trimmers at work! They really know their business!

Things have been really centered around the cabin project and that’s where most of my time is spent every week.The saws need to be kept outside as they won’t fit inside to do any practical work. I call the outside saw area the “Chop Shop”. We just moved it into a tent since it rains so much lately and the snow is coming. Running in and out of the cabin making cuts is time consuming but necessary. Plus the barn wood that is being using for the walls and trims is super dirty. All that dirt and sawdust stays right outside where it belongs. We have managed nicely so far but the weather continues to slowly head towards winter. Sometimes I work “under the lights” into the evening when I am pushing a part of the project. It gets dark around 4:30pm these days so that’s always a factor.

Using barn wood for interiors is very labor intensive but it’s truly a nice look! We used both silver gray and faded red for two of the walls so far. The bathroom is a mix of drywall,birch wainscoting, and a barn wood chair rail. There’s a lot left to do but things are getting better each week. I am anxious to move out of the Airstream and get into the cabin but as long as it stays mild it’s fine in here. Besides there’s still way too many tools and building materials in the cabin. The temporary kitchen sink where I do dishes for the moment is working out well. Having the stacked washer and dryer unit saves a lot of time. Well worth the space it takes up.

One nice thing about being outside cutting is seeing all the geese flying over each day. They have really been migrating recently in nonstop groups. I was finally able to spot a couple flocks of snow geese yesterday just before dark. They make a distinctive sound that’s different then the Canadian geese. It’s a sure sign of approaching winter and I know this mild weather can’t last forever. I have spent almost no time in the woods and I am missing my adventures there. But without the cabin I will be struggling to make it through the winter here. So it remains my focus for the moment. Not terribly exciting but you have to remember that we haven’t had running water and a toilet here on the farm property since May of 2012. All this is a milestone of accomplishment and a solid beginning of a new life journey here at the farm. I really enjoy living here again and cherish my freedom of the wide open spaces. Life will settle into some new routine again at some point and the farm cabin/campsite will serve as a valuable base of operations. Some day I may follow those geese south but not this winter.There’s still too many things left to do here! One thing remains certain: the walls of the cabin cannot hold me bound forever. I will need to get out and explore. And the adventures you have grown accustomed to will resume! We all must have shelter from the elements as the dark nights of December take us into winter. The tiny cabin project has challenged me greatly these past few months. But I have learned so much in the process. Never fear the unknown. Ponder and question your decisions but push yourself forward with no hesitation. That is how I see things with clarity and certainty. The energy and determination of the migratory birds humbles me. My project seems insignificant in the face of such an annual event. And there lies the resolve to drive the hands to achieve my goals. The dividends are many in their simplicity. And within I find an even greater connection to nature. And you thought it was just a project? Never. It’s much more then that.✍️